Sheet material element used in feeding device



Oct. 28, 1952 E. c. SAUERMAN SHEET MATERIAL ELEMENT USED IN FEEDING DEVICE Original Filed June 5, 1948 2- SHEETS-SHEET l Oct. 28, 1952 E. c. sAuERMAN SHEET MATERIAL ELEMENT USED IN FEEDING DEVICE 2 S-XEETS-SI-IEET 2 Original Filed June 5, 1948 DU MMBDM 4m md5 w Y ...t m

.252 Z/ 72 071' A572.5% Cf Szzerman Patented Oct. 28, 1952 SHEET MATERIAL ELEMENT USED IN FEEDING DEVICE Ernst C. Saucrman, Chicago, Ill.

Original application June 5, 1948, Serial No.

31,338. -Divided and this application September 16, 1950, Serial No. 191,071

This invention relates to improvements in a folded sheet or card which can be employed asa printing card and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 31,338, filed June 5, 1948.

One of the objects of my copending application, hereinbefore identified, resides in the provision of means for periodically removing the lowermost folded sheet from a stack of such sheets and conveying the removed sheet forwardly to an operating station.

Another important object of the invention described in my said copending application resides in the provision of means for conveying the folded sheets aforesaid from the stack of sheets to the operating station at a predetermined linear speed, and feeding said sheets in the operating' station between opposed rollswhose peripheral speed is different from the speed of feeding whereby said sheets pass between said rolls in Overlapping relationship.

An important feature of the invention described in my said copending application comprises means for overlapping the sheets vbetween the rolls which can be conveniently changed to change the degree of overlap of the sheets between the rolls.

Anotherimportant feature of the invention del scribed in my said copending application resides in means which positively conveys the sheets forwardly to the operating station at a predetermined speed and which disengages from said sheets at the moment or slightly prior thereto that the sheet is brought under the control o f the slower moving conveying elements at said station, wherebyinjuryvtothe sheet is prevented atv thepericdof transition of traveling speeds of the sheet.

An important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a folded sheet or card which can be employed as a printing card, said card being readily engageable by the conveying means hereinbefore mentioned and from which Vthe conveying means can be readily and quickly 3 Claims. (C1. IUI-149.4)

Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view of the conveyor employed inthe machine shown inFig. 1,v illustrating the function and operation of the conveyor fingers. y

Fig. 3 is a face view of the bottom card of an inverted stack of' printing cards usable with the present machine.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the card shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of the reverse face of the card illustrated in Fig. 3. e i

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an inverted stack of cards, taken on line '6 6 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I indicates the base of a machine upon which my card may be used, a pair of side frame members 2 being mounted upon said base in vertical position and in spaced parallel relationship. The side frame members 2 are maintained in spaced relationship by means of transverse bar' 3, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. n

A shaft 4 is journalled at its opposite ends in the opposite frame members 2 and a second shaft 5 is similarly journalled at the opposite end of v the machine. A pair of sprocket wheels 6, only one of which is shown, are carried uponthe shaft 4 and are disposed adjacent the inner faces lof the side members 2.- Similarly a pair of sprocket wheels l, only one of which is shown, are carried upon shaft 5 adjacent the inner faces of the side members 2 and in alignment with the respective sprocket wheels 6 upon shaft 4. A suitable prime mover (not shown) may be connected to shaft 4 whereby the machine may be driven,

A sprocket chain 8 is trained around one pair of sprocket Wheels 5 and 6 and a sprocket chain 9 is similarly trained around the remaining pair of sprocket wheels 5 and 6, the path of travel of the sprocket chains at their upper passes being adjacent the upper edges of the frame members 2.

A pair of upwardly extending standards IIJ are secured to the opposite frame members 2 adjacent one end of the machine. This end of-the machine will hereinafter be referred to asg'the delivery end. A shaft I I is j'ournalled at its ends in suitable bearings carried by the opposite standards I0, and one end of said shaft extends outwardly from one of the standards and is suitably driven in timed relationship to shaft 4. A rubber covered roll I2 is mounted upon an intermediate portion of shaft `I l f or purposesfwhih will be hereinafter morefully described..

A steel or other hard surfaced roll I3 is positioned beneath roll I2 nslightly oifsetrvertical ,relationship with saidlatter roll. Roll I3 is carried upon a shaft I4, the opposite ends of which are journalled in the ends of a pair of bell crank levers I5, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. The bell crank levers I5 are journalled intermediate their lengths upon stub shafts I5 carried by one of the frame members 2. Coil springs I7 are connected respectively at their ends to the ends of the bell crank levers I5, and both of said springs are anchored upon rod 16 at their opposite ends, as shown best in Fig. 1.

The arrangement is such that roll I3 is urged upwardly into pressure contact with roll I2 by means of the tension in springs I'I, said springs tending to rock levers I5 upon their respective shafts I5.

Broadly, the primary function of the machine is to feed sheet material comprising the present invention forwardly from a supply station to an operating station. The character of the sheet material which is fed forwardly may vary, as for instance, it may comprise printing units, that is, elements which may be used to transfer indicia carried by said units to another sheet or web. The sheetI material units are fed forwardly to the operating station which may comprise simple pressure rolls between which the units transfer their indicia to a sheet or web which may be passed between the rolls in company with the units.

From the physical point of View, apart from specific function, the units fed forwardly are relatively lat so that they can be conveniently stacked and may comprise cardboard, paper, celluloid or like plastic sheet material, thin metal or the like, and they are so constructed as to provide a channel, a fold in the case of a cardboard card or the like, whereby conveying members may engage to carry the same forwardly. From a physical aspect the operating station, apart from its function, preferably comprises rotating members which act to carry the unit delivered thereto forwardly in addition to performing a specific function such as pressing, printing or the like.

For purposes of illustrating the use of my invention, the unit employed comprises a printing card. Reference is specifically made to Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. In the drawings a card I8 is illustrated as comprising a fiat sheet of relatively thin cardboard which is folded intermediate its length to form a flap I9 and is folded adjacent the opposite end to form a sub-panel 20. The panel 20 is adhesively secured to the main panel 2l, said portion of the card being provided with an elongated aperture 22, one side of which is defined by the fold 23 which joins the flap to the main panel 2|. The inner face of the flap comprises a portion 24 which appears through the aperture 22. Upon that portion 24 of the flap which is Visible through aperture 22, indicia 25 is carried, the indicia comprising information which may be inscribed upon the portion 24 by an ink which can be rendered transferable when moistened with a predetermined liquid.

A plurality of cards I8 are adapted to be stacked, as shown best at 25 in Fig. 1 in a hopper 2'I. The hopper 2'I may comprise frame members 28 which define a space so dimensioned as to accommodate the cards I8.

Adjacent the rear end of the hopper, the frame members are bent inwardly and upwardly as shown best at 29 in Fig. l whereby the lowermost card I8 of the stack 26 is carried adjacent the edge of the card I8 which carries sub-panel 28.

It can readily be seen that when the stack 26 of cards i8 is positioned in the hopper, the stack being arranged with the flaps I9 of the cards disposed downwardly, the lowermost card is supported along one edge by the inturned anges 29 and the opposite edge of the card is supported by ends 30 of cross members 3I. cards approach the lowermost position, the lowermost card slides laterally in offset relationship to the stack 26 as shown best at 32 in Fig. 1 whereby the ap I9 drops by gravity so as to dispose the flap at an acute angle to the main panel 2I of the lowermost card I8. The position of the hopper 2'I with respect to the chains 8 and 9 is such that the flap I9 drops to a position between the upper passes ofsaid chains.

A plurality of blocks 33 are positioned upon each chain 8 and 9, the blocks on each chain being spaced from each other and the blocks on opposite chains being in alignment with each other. Each block 33 carries a bell-crank lever having a nger 34 and an arm 35, the bell-crank lever in each case being pivotally secured to a block by means of screw 3B.

As the chains move and a ypair of blocks 33 pass beneath the hopper 21, the fingers 34 carried by the opposite blocksfengage in the fold of the lowermost card I8, that is, the fold made by the connection of the flap I9 and main panel 2| of the card. It will be noted that the lowermost card, in shifting laterally with respect to stack 26, causes the ap of said card to swing downwardly, opening up the fold to a predetermined degree and thereby permitting the ready entrance of the fingers .34 into engagement with said fold.

. As the chains move forwardly, the lowermost card I8 is thus extracted from the stack 26 and is carried forwardly by the engagement of the fingers 34 in the fold of the card.

In View of the fact that the lowermost card IB is removed from the stack 26 in a sliding fashion, there would be a tendency for the typed material 25 upon the lowermost card to smudge the rear face of the flap I9 of the card immediately above during the sliding motion. This tendency is completely avoided by the fact that the depth of the typed material 25, that is, its thickness upon the surface of the flap I9 is less than the thickness of the card proper and, hence, the main panel 2l of the card protects the typed matter 25 from coming into contact with the rear face of the flap of the card immediately above.

In addition, as can readily be seen by reference to Fig. 1, by virtue of the manner in which cards are supported in the hopper, the flap I9 of the lowermost card drops downwardly and, consequently, that portion of the flap which carries the typed matter 25 is removed from the rear face of the flap of the card immediately above. Consequently, although the ink or other matter employed to form the type 25 may be of appreciable thickness, and may readily be removed by contact or abrasion, it is protected from such removal both by the structure of the hopper and by the structure of the card itself.

The cards I8 removed from the hopper are carried toward rolls I 2 .and I3 and are disposed in overlapping relationship between said rolls. The desired overlap of the cards in the nip of the rolls I2 and I3 is such lthat the fold of one card within the nip,rthat is, the fold between the main body of the card 2 I' and the flap I9, is disposed along the opposite longitudinal edge of the aperture 24 from that edge which comprises a continuation of the fold of the card immediately beneath. Preferably the widthy of the CaldS iS. 'Such that three or four cards will be However, as the disposed in overlapping relationship between the rolls I2- and I3. However, the number of cards disposed in overlapping relationship in the nip is a factor which can easily be determined by any one skilled in the art to adopt the machine to a predetermined operation.

It is desirable in transferring the impression of indicia 25 upon web 31 that the individual indicia of adjacent units I8 be spaced, in transfer, as closely as possible upon web 31. Hence, the desirability of overlapping the units in the operating station and also the desirability of positioning the aperture 24 in each card as close as possible to the leading edge of the card.

Another feature of the card construction which is of importance is that the ap I9 is shorter in width than the main panel 2l of the card and that the sub-panel 29, when the card is in collapsed position, as shown best in Fig. 4, is disposed with its edge closely adjacent the free edge of the iiap I 9. By this .arrangement the cards are of substantially uniform thickness throughout and, hence, when stacked, as in the hopper 21, the individual cards Willoccupy a substantially horizontal position throughout the height of the stack and will not be canted at a cumulatively changing angle from the bottom of the stack to `the top thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1.4 A printing unit from which an impression of indicia carried thereby is transferable by pressure contact to a print receiving surface which comprises, sheet material folded intermediate one of its dimensions toform a main panel and a flap, an edge of the main panel extending outwardly beyond an. edge of said flap to permit'the iiap to swing downwardly from the main panel when the panel is substantially hor- '.izontally positioned, indicia formed of transferable material carriedupon the surface of the flap adjacent said fold, the main panel being lprovided with an aperture adjacent vsaid fold with the defining edges -of said aperture border- -ing said indicia whereby the indicial is exposed through said aperture, the faces of said indicia extending from the surface of said ap a ldistance less than the thickness of the main panel whereby units disposed in face-to-face relationship can slide upon each other without smudging the indicia carried on the flap of one of the face-to-face adjacent cards.

2. A printing unit from which an impression of indicia carried thereby is transferable by pressure ,contact to a print receiving surface which, comprises, sheet material folded interv mediate one of'its dimensions to form a main l the main panel when the panel is substantially horizontally positioned, indicia formed oftransferable material carried upon the surface of the y flap r,adjacent said fold, the main panel being provided with an aperture defined at one edge by a continuation of said line of fold with the dening edges of said aperture bordering said indicia whereby the indicia is exposed through vsaid aperture, the faces of said indicia extending from the surface of said flap a distance less than the thickness of the main panel whereby units `disposed in face-to-face relationship can slide upon each other without smudging the indicia carried on the ap of one of the face-toface adjacent cards.

3. A printing unit from which an impression of indicia carriedthereby is transferable by pressure contact to a print receiving surface which comprises, sheet material folded intermediate'one of its dimensions to vform a main panel and a flap, an edge of the main panel extending outwardly beyond an edge of said flap to permit the flap to swing downwardly fromthe main panel when the panel is substantially horizontially positioned, indicia formed of transferable material carried upon the surface of the iiap 'adjacent said fold, the main panel being provided with an aperture adjacent said fold with the defining edges of said aperturey bordering said indicia whereby the indicia is exposed through said aperture, the faces of said indicia extending from the surface of said iiap a distance less than the thickness of the main panel REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofv this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date l1,170,434 Engel Feb. 1, 1916 1,208,269` Belknap Dec. 12, 1916 1,274,864 Evans Aug. 6, 1918 l 1,322,314 Loewenbach Nov. 18,1 1919 1,349,807 de Brayer Aug. 17, 1920 1,472,057 Ellis Oct. 10, 1923 1,820,968; Evans Sept. 1, 1931 2,054,344 Storck Sept. 15, 1936 v2,101,949

Luckie Dec. 14, 1937 

